Blue Flower Palace had a heavy atmosphere. All the fairy servants knew about the argument and had been gossiping quietly in corners of the estate. No one dared speak too loud, lest the Nannies and Shan Hui hear them. Either group would take such talk very very poorly.

Yan and Shi were sitting quietly at the dinner table, staring at their plates glumly, pushing food around with their chopsticks.

“Come on boys,” Ye said anxiously. “You need to eat.”

“Not hungry.” Yan huffed.

“Don’t want.” Shi agreed.

“But you didn’t eat lunch either. Your mother will be worried when she gets home.”

“When will she be home?” Shi asked Ye anxiously for the hundredth time.

“She’s never coming home…!” Yan said in a dramatic angry tone, laying his upper body on the table and dropping his chopsticks with a clatter.

“Now, now,” Ye frowned at Yan’s behavior. “She will come home. Just… it just might take her time to calm down.”

“She wouldn’t have to calm down if you and Big Brother and Father hadn’t made her angry!” The elder twin muttered bitter and cast an angry glare at his Fairy Uncle.

Ye sighed, feeling like life wasn’t fair. On this issue, he’d been siding with Jin from the beginning. He knew why MeiMei was upset, but even so, he didn’t think himself wrong either. The only guilt he felt was from getting caught and in the process having his adorable nephews blamed for his deception.

“Yan Li,” Shan Hui glared at his younger sibling as he entered the room unannounced. “Don’t act like you’ve never made Mother angry. What about that time you convinced one of the Wu boys to climb a tree and he broke his arm?”

“Ah!” Yan sat up and Shi cried out, ”Big Brother!”

“That was just one time!” Yan responded indignantly.

“How about when you lost Mother’s favorite bracelets because you used them as ‘treasure’ for Shi Ji to find?” Shi had run over to Shan Hui and hugged him.

“That- That- They found them eventually!”

“Two weeks later!” Shan Hui cocked an eyebrow. “Or the time you almost blew up the kitchen.”

“That was an accident!”

“I saw the firecrackers…”

Yan knew he was losing, so he went for a low hit:

“At least Mother’s never cried because of something I did!”

“Why you—!”

Shan Hui and Yan gave each other fierce glares, ready to start fighting.

“Big Brother, when is Mother coming home?” Shi butt in rudely while tugging on Shan Hui’s pants, tired of the pointless fighting.

Shan Hui was distracted by the tugging and patted his more obedient brother on the head kindly.

“Soon.”

Yan Li gave his older brother a distrustful look.

“How are you so sure?”

“I have my ways.”

“You spied!”

Shan Hui rolled his eyes. “Aren’t you glad I did?”

Yan looked cross because, in truth, he was glad.

“Anyway, since she’s coming home soon. You might as well eat.” He walked over to the table and snapped his fingers.

Immediately his Nannies began setting a place for him at the table and filling it with all the foods he liked. Plus some vegetables he didn’t, but he was use to that so he ignored it.

Technically, they were more like Personal Maidservants at this point than Nannies. Perhaps their official titles should have changed, but as of now everyone in the family and Palace was use to thinking of them as “Nannies”.

He took his chopsticks and ate a few bites. When he saw the twins were still standing around, he gave them a commanding look.

“What? She won’t get here any quicker by you starving yourself. Sit down and eat.”

This was a perfectly valid point, so they both shuffled over and started eating. Slowly at first, and then quickly, shoveling food in their mouths like ravenous wolves. Well, they had missed lunch and were growing boys. It wasn’t that surprising they were hungry.

Seeing their behavior, Shan Hui’s lips lifted slightly.

In this family, other than with Mother, it was practically impossible to show familial affection straight-forwardly. Bickering and back-handed comments paired with sly behavior and manipulation were the only way to go about it.

“My sincerest gratitude.” Ye whispered after he hopped onto Shan Hui’s shoulder, his face showing genuine relief. “I couldn’t get them to eat for anything.”

“Your welcome.” Shan Hui replied lightly. “If Mother came home to find they’d skipped both meals, I would be the one to suffer for it.”

Ye clucked his tongue and rolled his eyes. He knew perfectly well Shan Hui was just worried for his brothers, who he viewed as weak and frail compared to himself. Since the boy wasn’t going to admit it, Ye just played along.

“Must everything always be for your benefit, hm?”

“Can’t it?”

The leaf fairy narrowed his eyes, a hint of mischief flashing in them.

“You know, I can only hope someday you have a child just like you. Then maybe you’ll stop being so stubborn and understand the pain us adults go through raising such ungrateful children.”

Shan Hui snorted at Ye’s obvious attempt to get a rise out of him.

“That is never going to happen.”

“Oh really?”

“That’s right. I have no intention of getting cozy with some loathsome woman.”

Ye raised his eyebrows at Shan Hui’s stoic declaration.

“Self proclaimed bachelorhood? At your age? As if anyone would believe you!”

“What does my age have to do with it? And why can’t I decide now to be single? Mother is the only human out there worth the time of day.” He nibbled on a piece of fish before continuing. “And she’s got Father, so where does that leave me? With nothing. So, I’ll just enjoy being single.”

“Ay ay, poor MeiMei. Hearing that kind of talk will make her cry.”

“Then don’t tell her.”

Ye bounced a bit in place and grinned suddenly. “Should I tell Jin?”

Shan Hui calmly set down chopsticks.

“Uncle Ye, have you always wanted me dead, or did the desire just now manifest itself?”

The little fairy gave a hearty laugh.

——

They just finished eating when a Wen servant rushed into the room and announced the Lord and Lady were home.

The twins immediately rushed out, with Shan Hui and Ye trailing behind with some reluctance.

When Mei Hua saw her twin boys run up to her with anxious faces, she immediately felt guilty for her behavior.

“My sons,” She knelt down and cupped each of their faces with a hand. “I’m sorry I lost my temper and left you alone. How I acted wasn’t proper or kind. Can you forgive me?”

“Of course, Mommy!” Shi burst into tears and hugged Mei, while Yan simply nodded in teary agreement and followed his younger brother’s example.

“Thank you, Yan. Thank you, Shi.” She kissed the top of each of their heads before letting them go.

Shan Hui had come, with Ye on his shoulder. Before Mei Hua could open her mouth, he’d gotten on his hands and knees, forehead touching the ground.

“Mother, your son has been unfilial in his dishonesty. Apologies are not enough to make up for this sin. Whatever punishment you desire for this son, he will accept.”

Ye had also hopped down and bowed his little body.

“This fairy is sorry, MeiMei. Please punish this fairy too!”

Seeing her oldest boy and her fairy friend being extremely apologetic AND being super formal, she wondered if she should laugh or cry. She touched her forehead and sighed.

“Oh, both of you! What do you think you’re doing, get up, get up! Even if I was still mad, I don’t need either of you grovelling like this.”

Ye had gone to stand up but stopped when Shan Hui said stubbornly:

“This son will not get up until he’s been punished for his behavior.”

“Uh, this fairy too!” Ye hastily agreed, bowing back down.

Shan Hui could be ridiculously stubborn, even with his beloved Mother, when he had the right motivation. Mei put her hands on hips and looked at the two of them. After a few minutes of thought, she brightened.

“Will you accept any punishment?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“…yes.” Ye reluctantly agree, knowing he would definitely suffer for it.

“Very well then,” She raised her hand commandingly. “The punishment for both of you will be treating Jin with respect and kindness for a week starting tomorrow.”

“What?!” Both Ye and Jin cried out, startled.

Shan Hui simply gave a great shudder before replying:

“As you wish, Mother.”

He then stood up, his chin raised proudly, and gave his Old Man a stern look. “Tomorrow then.”

With that he turned around and left without saying another word.

“MeiMei,” Ye hopped over to her, tears in his eyes. “Can’t you think of something else?”

“It’s not like you haven’t done it before.” Mei Hua remembered that time after she’d been sick and Ye had been extremely polite and well-behaved to the Emperor for a month.

“And I thought I was going to die!” Wailed Ye miserably.

“Say that again, I dare you.” Jin threatened the fairy, before turning to his wife. “Mei, are you sure about this?”

He was a little worried about the repercussions of such a punishment. Oh yes, he’d enjoy it for a week, but the moment the punishment was over would be the problem. His son and the noisome fairy would definitely make his life miserable.

“What? They both absolutely love needling you at every opportunity. Forcing them to be nice to you, it’s a great punishment.”

“…being used as a punishment…” Jin grumbled sourly.

Mei Hua pat him on the face.

“As for you.”

“Eh? Me?”

“What? Didn’t you lie too? Shouldn’t you be punished?”

“You said you forgave me!”

“I did. But look at your eldest. He’s willing to accept a punishment. Even Ye is, and you know what a wiggle-outer he is. Why not, at least, show the same sincerity as them?”

Jin looked like he’d eaten something bitter.

“What?” She tapped him in the chest, eyes wide. “Is the Emperor afraid of what his little wifey will do to him?”

He lifted his head, nostrils flaring. Standing up a little straighter, he cleared his throat.

“I-I’m not afraid!”

“Good, good. Then for your punishment you’ll be just as nice and kind to Shan Hui and Ye as they are to you for a week, starting tomorrow.”

“But Mei…”

“You don’t like it? Hm.” She rubbed her chin. “Than how about this? Don’t expect anything… fun… until AFTER I give birth.”

Jin laughed nervously at this and quickly began massaging her shoulders.

“Mei, Mountain Flower, what’s a day of mutual familial love and affection? That kind of punishment, is it even punishment? Of course I’ll do it, of course. Hahaha! So let’s put all other punishments out of our minds, alright? Hahaha!”

The next week, Mei Hua was very happy. The two most troublesome men in her life (plus a fairy) were forced to be nice to each other, so there was no fighting or arguments and every meal was peaceful.

The twins found the atmosphere strange and unnatural. They were used to the quarreling, so the quiet, respectful behavior was unsettling to them. They would also periodically find Father, Ye, or Shan Hui alone and venting their anger on some poor inanimate object or cursing up a storm. All three individuals looked very unhappy, despite the fact that all they had to do was “be nice”.

Shortly after, Jin made a memorial stone in one of the gardens. It was made of pearl blue granite, thin and rectangular, and at the top was a single elegantly shaped flower. Two young blue flower trees were planted to the right and the left of it.

A simple poem was written down the memorial’s center:

“Though Unbloomed, Eternally Beautiful”

That evening, before the sun set completely, all the men and boys huddled around Mei Hua as she lit incense sticks and paid her respects to the children that never made it. She cried silent tears and hugged the twins close to her. Ever after, every year around the same time, she would pay her respects to the children she never had the chance to love.